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IslandStats.com

Bermuda head coach John Barry Nusum expressed immense pride in his squad’s application and tactical discipline despite suffering a stinging 2-1 defeat to Guadeloupe in Saint Lucia.

Speaking post-match to Islandstats.com, Nusum reflected on an encounter where Bermuda dictated the tempo for long stretches before being reduced to 10 men and conceding two late goals.

Addressing the absence of key talisman Nahki Wells, Nusum clarified that travel logistics dictated the decision to leave him out of the matchday squad.

"His flight... the timing of his flight got in late, so we didn't want to put him in a position where he gets injured," Nusum explained. "He'll be ready for the next game, so it's all good."

Despite the heartbreak of leaving empty-handed after holding the lead, the head coach highlighted the execution and composure shown throughout the opening 45 minutes.

"It's hard to say after taking a 2-1 loss, but I was very proud of how the boys applied themselves tonight," Nusum said. "First half, I thought we commanded the first half. We dictated the speed, the tempo of the game. We were able to play around their press.

"There were a lot of things that we spoke about during the week that we wanted to apply, and I think the first half we showed it. They didn't have really too many chances—they had a couple of, I think, penalty shouts, but again that's their guys diving in the box that the ref waved off.

"We had a good spell of having possession, being able to play around them. We got a couple of opportunities that we probably should have finished to kill the game off in the first half. Right at half-time, right before the whistle, we had a header from Jair that the keeper saved on the line. So again, we were doing the right things, applying ourselves the right way."

The momentum shifted dramatically in the 64th minute when Jorj Dublin received a straight red card, leaving Bermuda to navigate the remainder of the contest shorthanded.

"When you get a red card in the second half, it shifts the momentum. It shifts the way we can play," Nusum noted. "I think that red card really hurt us and put them in a bit of ascendancy, having numbers on us.

"But if I'm being honest with you, I was very proud of the way the boys defended and applied themselves. We never really felt a threat for a good 20 minutes after the red card, as they were just trying to lump balls into the box, and our keeper was dealing with it and our defenders were dealing with it.

"Obviously, the two goals in that quick span is something that we've been talking about making sure we kill out of our game, and we can't afford that. But the boys worked tirelessly hard, so the fatigue then actually comes into play."

Nusum also singled out the performance of the team's younger contingent, who shouldered significant responsibility on the international stage.

"I'm very excited for these guys and where we're going to go in the future. We have some younger players behind them coming in as well, so I'm excited to have this new era coming in. They're excited, they're good players, they get on the ball, they're comfortable. They ticked a lot of the boxes that we're looking for out of our young players."

Nusum also praised debutant Blaiz Borgesson, who was handed a baptism of fire under difficult circumstances.

"We got a first cap for Blaiz Borgesson tonight. Unfortunately for him, his moment when he came on we were already down a man, so he had to do a lot of extra running and a lot of work. But again, he put his head down, did the work that we needed out of him in the moment, and all credit to him."